WASHINGTON - Documents revealing a
Scientology espionage campaign against government agencies ranging from the IRS to the
Clearwater City Commission were declared open to further public inspection Friday
afternoon by a federal judge.

Scientology attorneys had argued
strenuously that the papers should be sealed because they would cause "irreparable
injury" to the church.

The public availability of the
dozen cartons of government-seized documents - the basis of last week's conspiracy
convication of nine top chruch officials - was in doubt until U.S. District Judge Charles
R. Richey issued his ruling.

Scientologists sought to reclaim
the papers, or at least block their release to the media on grounds they no longer were
crucial to the government's case.

But Richey, who personally reviewed
the material, ruled the Scientologists' argument invalid.

Richey said that returning or
sealing the documents would "make a folly of the First Amendment."

The papers - largely confidential
top-secret memos between sect leaders - include details of a Scientology scheme to
"take control" of Clearwater by discrediting and spying on public officials. The
documents also show a concerted far-reaching Scientology espionage campaign against
government agencies such as the FBI, CIA, IRS and Justice Department, and private groups
such as the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, long
viewed by the church as "enemies."

The papers, among more than 40
cartons of evidence seized during an FBI raid at the cult's Losa Angeles headquarters in
July 1978, show the Clearwater branch was involved in a worldwide spying mission dubbed
"Snow White."

The operation was orderd by sect
founder L. Ron Hubbard and carried out by ranking "guardians," including his
wife, Mary Sue, the documents show.

Mrs. Hubbard and eight other top
church officials were found guilty last Friday of conspiring to break into government
officies, steal documents and bug meetings. Two indicted guardians remain in England,
where extradition proceedings will begin next week.

Specific operations relating to
Clearwater - projects "Goldmine" and "Normandie" - appeared to have
been launched when Scientologists arrived in Clearwater four years ago under the guise of
a group called United Churches of Florida. Only limited descriptions of these operations
were among papers Richey released, but one document showed Scientologists were ordered to
probe all aspects of city and county government and attempt to malign groups and
individuals the church viewed as enemies.

Scientology attorney Michael
Hertzberg attempted to convince Richey Friday to temporarily block any further release of
the documents and to return them to the church. Hertzberg argued the government's need for
the evidence "terminated with the guilty verdict of this court last Friday."

Without citing specific instances,
Hertzberg continued that public release of the material would cause "irreparably
injury" to Scientology activity.

Spokesman for the California-based
ect have indicated the documents would be damaging because they tell nothing about the
actual working of the Church of Scientology or of the crimes of government agencies which
the church has been fighting for over 25 years."

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve
Tabakman said the documents would be used in the upcoming cases of two indicted guardians,
Mo Budlong and Jane Kember, now in England.

Tabakman said returning the
documents to the cult also would hinder grand jury probes in Tampa and New York.

Richey also rejected the
Scientologist's compromise request that if the documents were not returned, they at least
should be kept sealed.

"This case is the only one in
this court in which documents are not being put on the public record," the judge
said. "To continue to do so would not serve the public interest."

Scientologists asked for the
restraining order Thursday night after Richey released documents showing the sect kept
dossiers and ran "rumour campaigns" against public officials and private medical
groups around the nation.

Richey also denied a last-minute
appeal attempt after Friday's hearing but court officials said Scientologists will get
another chance to stay Richey's order in the U.S. Court of Appeal next week.

Richey apparently will continue
making documents available on Monday. He has been reviewing the papers privately since the
conviction of the cult leaders and issuing those he feels are not damaging to innocent
parties.